Ayade weeps over plight of Bakassi returnees

The Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade, says no human being deserves to live under the kind of poor condition in which the displaced people of Bakassi are living.

While relating the plight of the people to the National Commissioner, Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Hajia Sadiya Farauk, Ayade broke down in tears.

According to a statement on Thursday, Farauk went to Cross River in furtherance of the plans by the Federal Government to properly resettle the displaced Bakassi people living in a camp for IDPs created for them in Cross River.

Ayade regretted that while the Federal Government and various humanitarian organisations were rallying round the IDPs in the North-East, nobody looked in the direction of the displaced Bakassi people.

“The pain the Bakassi people have gone through is totally unacceptable in modern society.

“As we watch several multinationals and countries fall over themselves to provide relief items to other IDPs’ centres, I watched my own people of Bakassi daily in pains, agony, and totally reduced to want in body and spirit and above all, completely dislocated from their ancestral homes.

“As I watch them scratch their skin in pains, as I see the difficulty for them to access water coupled with the loss of their main source of livelihoods, let me say that until there is a psychological and emotional redemption, the people will know no peace.”

Earlier, Farauk had told Ayade that the Federal Government was working hard to ensure that the displaced Bakassi people were properly resettled.

She thanked Cross River for so far taking responsibility for the welfare of the Bakassi returnees.

“Let me thank the government and the good people of Cross River State for the warm and kind hospitality so far shown to the IDPs and to assure you that plans are in earnest to ensure that the displaced people of Bakassi are resettled as soon as possible in their home community, she said.”

Source: Punch